Tires affect everything. You know this, right? That connection to the road impacts steering feel, handling, grip, and ride—the things we love about our cars that separate the good ones from the bad. So when the original Continental ContiSportContact tires wore out on my 2001 BMW M3, I decided to explore some options.

Specifically, I wanted to know how the car would do on tires from different performance categories. For example, would a less expensive all-season tire kill the BMW's precise steering? Would a higher-performance tire yield crisper handling? Is there such a thing as too much grip?

To answer these questions, I visited Tire Rack's small test track in South Bend, Indiana. With the assistance of advisor Woody Rogers, I measured lap times and drove three different tires on a variety of surfaces to suss out noise and ride quality. We didn't find the one tire that does everything perfectly, but we did come up with one that suits our tastes.

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2Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season

[ Ultra High Performance All-Season ]

ROAD >> Steering feels buried under a thick pile of pudding. The crisp handling supplied by the M3's stiff suspension is muted by these squishy sidewalls, but I've never enjoyed a comfier ride.

TRACK >> Cornering is like standing on an exercise ball, wobbly and unstable. The grip just isn't there—fun, though, as you can easily overwhelm the rear.

LAP TIME >> 31.35 sec

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3Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 R

[ Extreme Performance Summer ]

ROAD >> "Can you feel those sharp bumps?" Rogers asks. "Those are tar strips!" On this tire, you feel everything.

TRACK >>< Sharp turn-in, more steering feel, monster grip. But extra grip can amplify a car's tendencies, and the M3's once-mild understeer becomes relentless. Lap times drop, but at a cost: No more sideways fun.

LAP TIME >> 29.97 sec

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4Michelin Pilot Super Sport

[ Max Performance Summer ]

ROAD >> Huge steering-feel improvement over the all-seasons, not as stiff as the extreme summers. Turn-in slightly delayed compared with the Yokos, but the linear relationship between lateral force and steering weight makes driving a joy.

TRACK >> Proper roadholding, more communication. Fell in love with the car all over again.

LAP TIME >> 30.14 sec

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5Our Verdict:

We assumed that the stickier, faster Yokos would make the M3 more entertaining, but they made the car lose its flow. The Michelins—the closest to the M3's original rubber—were our favorites. Engineers tune a car's suspension to a few specific tires, so if you're happy with how your car feels, stick with the status quo.

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